John Logan, a Lewis County (Mo.) C-1 School District bus driver, is charged with improper lane usage resulting in an accident on April 1. While Logan slides a trash can to a child who says she is sick, the front right tire drops off the road and he reportedly over-steers to correct the bus, causing it to slide down an embankment and roll on its top. The Missouri State Highway Patrol report concludes that Logan was at fault because the driver is responsible for staying focused on driving.

With the TextGuard app, a manager is alerted if a driver uses the phone when the vehicle's speed is above 9 mph. The SeatbeltGuard device, which is installed in the vehicle, also offers such features as real-time GPS tracking, speed monitoring, geo-fencing and reverse geo-fencing.

The effort is the Department of Transportation's first-ever national advertising campaign and law enforcement crackdown to combat distracted driving. Ads using the phrase “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” will run from April 7 to 15, which coincides with a nationwide law enforcement crackdown in states with distracted driving bans.

The free, Zonar-sponsored events next week will examine the topics of school bus driver distraction and crash risks for commercial fleets. Nikki Hughes, director of school transportation services at California’s San Juan Unified School District, will be the featured speaker in the distraction webinar.

The technology uses a unique Bluetooth trigger unit coupled with a mobile application on a cell phone to stop the temptation to call, e-mail, text or surf the Internet while a vehicle is in motion. After the software is downloaded on a computer and the trigger unit is installed in a vehicle, Cellcontrol will automatically enforce the operation’s policy for use of mobile devices while driving.

The school bus driver reportedly tells investigators that the accident she was in was caused by an oncoming car moving into her lane. But an onboard camera recording shows that she was distracted for a few seconds by a student, and it also shows two cars passing the bus in the proper lane approximately 15 to 20 seconds before the wreck.

At the California Association of School Transportation Officials’ annual event, several sessions address the dangers of distracted driving, while other sessions cover lessons learned from fatal incidents involving buses, and effective teaching strategies. The vendor show features more than 30 exhibitors.

New legislation aims to prohibit school bus drivers from using interactive wireless communication devices while the bus in motion. However, a rule to that effect was already approved by the Nebraska Department of Education last year.

Ray LaHood announces on Tuesday to the employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation that he will not serve a second term, but he says he will stay on until his successor is confirmed. LaHood showed support for the pupil transportation industry during his term, calling for funding of a program to promote the benefits of yellow buses, attending industry events and taking on such issues as distracted driving.

Over the years, the National Transportation Safety Board has become the gold standard for safety recommendations that should be taken to heart, and the agency’s vice chairman, Christopher Hart, is among its best keepers of the flame. There was much to be learned from his excellent presentation at the NAPT Summit in Memphis, Tenn., in October.

A session at the NAPT Summit addresses ways that managers contribute to distracted driving, while a keynote presentation covers fatal school bus accidents caused by inattentive drivers. Handling problematic student behavior is the focus of a panel discussion and a joint presentation. At the trade show, Blue Bird unveils its redesigned Type D buses.

The agency’s annual list for recommended improvements in safety for all modes of transportation prioritizes such issues as eliminating distracted driving. NTSB cites the fatal 2010 Gray Summit, Mo., crash involving two school buses, in which distraction was determined to be the probable cause of the initial collision.

Deianerah "D.J." Logan, 17, was killed when she rear-ended a school bus in September. An investigation finds that the teen was texting at the time. Her family says in a statement that “we would much rather be grounding her for this mistake than never hearing her laughter fill the house again.”

Keynote speakers at the NAPT Summit share some powerful safety messages — powerful in particular because they are based on fatal school bus accidents. The family of Hunter Pitt, who was killed when his bus ran over him, watches a video they worked on with Missouri organizations.

Calling distracted driving "an epidemic," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood outlines steps to pass more laws, address technology and help stakeholders take action. He also announces $2.4 million in support for enforcement projects in California and Delaware.

Georgia state troopers say that 18-year-old Mandy Lynn Davidson was distracted by a text message when she swerved into traffic and hit the school bus head-on, severely injuring herself and her infant. No children were on the bus.

Distracted driving means different things to different people. But it seems clear that this subject will continue to be at the top of the national agenda as policymakers in Washington seek the proper balance between innovation, convenience and safety.

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